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9/11Yes, And: Interview with Second City’s Tom Yorton and Kelly Leonard, 2015-03-12
Audio With External Links Item Preview
An interview with two veterans of the Second City comedy organization, Tom Yorton and Kelly Leonard, conducted by Charlie Meyerson for Rivet. Recorded March 12, 2015. (Photo credit: Meyerson.)
Script/notes follow:
http://www.harpercollins.com/9780062248541/yes-and
Start: immediately, kill: Jan. 4, 2016.
Lead story, but remove “Lead” designation Monday, 6 a.m.
Metadata:
HL1: business, entertainment, theater, TV&Film, humor, society&culture
HL2: Second City, Yes And, Kelly Leonard, Tom Yorton
HL3: Charlie Meyerson, World, Rivet
Byline: Improv comedy’s workplace lessons: ‘Yes, And’
Timeless answers, please.
Short answers, 2-3 sentences
I’ll pause at beginning.
Correct any mistakes!
Photo
Clips:
Cab-HolyWarBatman.mp4
TSA_excerpt-SouthSide.mp4
YesAnd-Paradigm.mp4
Opener-BlagoSuperstar.mp4
Can comedy -- specifically, improv -- improve your life? Two guys who’ve spent years in the field ... say it’s taught them a lot ... and they want to share it with you:
((sound bite here))
I’m Charlie Meyerson on Rivet … with Kelly Leonard and Tom Yorton, executives at Chicago’s Second City, birthplace of the careers of SOOOO many comedians (whose names we’ll be dropping here); their book is “Yes, And …”
Why have you come to Earth and what do you have to teach us?
Let’s back up: What IS Second City? How’d you describe it to someone who’s never heard of it?
You’ve said Second City’s grown from a small cabaret theater into a “full-blown innovation lab.” What’s that mean?
What’s that title mean: “Yes, And”?
You’ve brought some classic Second City clips along with you to illustrate the “Yes, And” philosophy. Walk us through one …?
How’s Second City apply its take on humor to the workplace? How about a case study?
In business, the phrase “yes man” (or “yes woman”) has come over the years to be a negative thing. Do you worry some people who’ve study under you … misinterpret the “Yes And” philosophy and the result is more “yes men”?
You talk about “the line between respect and reverence.” Where’s that line ... and which side of it should we be on?
“Yes And” ... talks about the importance of LISTENING. Has the age of the laptop and the smartphone made that tougher?
In a lot of groups, I wind up the guy who offers the minority/dissenting viewpoint. Maybe it’s a journalist thing, maybe I’m just an asshole. But I often find myself questioning ideas everyone else in the room seems to like. Can you cure me?
Your book includes a list of advice “born of improvisational theater” – things you say can help everyone, everywhere. Can you share it here?
Before he knew I’d booked you guys for this interview, the boss bought a box of copies of your book to hand out to the Rivet leadership team. So I have a few for you to autograph if that’s OK. You can do it using one of these incredibly cheap (but genuine plastic!) Rivet pens we give away to listeners who send us clever email.
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IT’S Rivet. I’m Charlie Meyerson, and our guests are Kelly Leonard and Tom Yorton, executives at the cradle of modern improv comedy, Chicago’s Second City; their book is “Yes, And …”
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Our guest on this edition of Panorama, recorded March 12, 20-15 ... have been Tom Yorton and Kelly Leonard of Chicago’s Second City entertainment empire; their book is “Yes, And ...” in print and ebook from HarperCollins.
I’m Charlie Meyerson. You’re listening to … Rivet.
